Disclaimer: Stupid pain in the... I hate having to write these EVERY time. But yeah, I do not own Ranma 1/2. Let's get to the story already!

Neko, Nya!

By: Nemarra

Chapter one

Ranma Saotome groaned as his brain threatened to smash through his skull. Just what had hit him? As far as he could remember, he had not pissed off his betrothed, Akane Tendo. She had not even been around from what he could recall. Last he could remember he had been training in the dojo. Then he had sensed another presence just before everything went black. Maybe Shampoo had run him over with her bike again. That was plausible since it seemed to be one of her less alluring habits. Although, he did not remember any greeting that she usually shouted upon seeing him. Come to think of it, Shampoo never ran him over hard enough to knock him out so she could ask him on a date. So then, it was not from Shampoo.

Then maybe it could have been a sneak attack by one of his rivals. Last he had seen, 'P-chan' had been cuddling up to Akane at dinner that night. Maybe Ryoga did not like some of the things Ranma had said about him during dinner and wanted to exact revenge. Still, Ryoga was not exactly the stealthiest of people. He would have wandered around the house for a few hours trying to find Ranma, probably even passing him from time to time, until he could attack with a loud battle call. Ranma would have been ready for him even if he was sitting around doing nothing. It had to have been someone with exceptional stealth skills to have caught Ranma even with his guard. That cancelled out any of his rivals and his old man. Which left one option; this was a whole new foe.

Ranma fully opened his eyes having some difficulty with the bright light. When his eyes finally adjusted, he discovered he was chained to a stone cat inside a large white walled temple. It almost looked like the statue was playing with Ranma like a marionette. Just below Ranma's feet was a pool of poppy red coloured water that spilled over the sides. His eyes followed part of the waterfall to where it splashed into the stone floor five feet below. There, a pattern was etched into the white stone which the water greedily filled. Its path circled about the floor below joining more water- each a different colour- but never meeting with the other waters. Together, it created a masterpiece similar to a Mandela. It was easily one hundred meters in diameter and had to have taken centuries to construct. Placed at the centre was a hole the waters fell away into. Somehow, hovering over the hole was a crystal orb with a white cat statue seat on top. Ranma forced his eyes away from the stone creature having to suppress his rising fear at how real it looked. Instead he looked around the outside of the Mandela where five identical statues were strategically placed. It was the very same scene as Ranma's place. Large stone cats. Each one with a pool that poured it's own colour. Sure enough, hanging above each pool was a person. He noticed that he knew each of them.

On his right, over the purple waterfall, was Ukyo Kuonji. She appeared to be passed out. Next to her in the circle was Shampoo over the blue pool. It was difficult for Ranma to see Mousse over the green pool directly across from him, but there was no doubt it was the hidden weapon wielder. Continuing on to the yellow pool, Ryoga Hibiki hung dangerously close to the strange water. Finally, on Ranma's left, was the orange pool with none other than Akane chained over it. She groaned a bit before opening her own eyes. Just as Ranma had done she surveyed her surroundings. Once her eyes met his, she spoke.

"Where are we?" she asked.

"I don't know," Ranma answered honestly. Another groan across the way drew their attention to Mousse. He frantically looked about somehow managing to keep his glasses on his face. "Where am I? What's going on?" he began to spout. He suddenly stopped when he noticed Shampoo next to him. "Shampoo? Shampoo! Wake up! Speak to me! Are you okay?! Shampoo!"

Shampoo moved the slightest before finally waking up. "Why Mousse yelling?" she grumbled irritably. She also looked around as Ukyo began to awaken. "Wha-what hit me?" Ukyo muttered.

It was not until he asked, "What am I doing here?" did anyone notice Ryoga had also awoken.

"Is everyone alright?" Ranma asked.

Before anyone could answer, a new voice spoke up, "Oh I'm wonderful now, nya."

Six sets of eyes looked forward in surprise not believing what they had heard. The statue had spoken! Before their eyes, the marble cat began to move. It's eyes opened to reveal two deep purple orbs. Ranma began to shake violently as his cat phobia came into play. The cat looked over each of the captive material artists with a satisfied smile. 'The cat that ate the canary' was the first term that came to mind. "Oooo, My. My. My," it said in a very feminine voice. "Quit a lovely lot I've got here, nya." Beneath the cat's feet the orb began to glow.

"Hey hair ball! What the hell do you want with us?" Ryoga shouted. His yell signally different calls from the others. Save for Ranma, that is. "Let us go this instant!"

"You pay big when Shampoo get to you!"

"You're not going to get away with this!"

"Whatever your intentions, we will defeat you!"

At Mousse's shout, the cat let out a mrrow of laughter. Everyone quieted, confused to what was so funny. "Y-you humans really think... you can... beat me now?!" the cat continued to laugh.

"What do you want with us?" Akane demanded.

The cat finally stopped laughing to stare down Akane. The smile still clearly on her face. "What do I want?" she answered coyly. "I want this blasted curse to be eliminated once and for all. I want back my royal Neko dynasty of the Ancient World. I have waited five hundred years for one of the Ki warriors to be born and reach adulthood." The cat's eyes focused on Ranma. "Now the time has finally come, and the humans will bow to cats once more."

"You're not going to get away with this!" Ukyo called while trying to loosen her chains.

"Oh, but I already have," the cat insisted. "Now that I have the Neko Ki warrior, and five great warriors of this land, tonight- on the first full moon of spring- my curse will finally be unleashed. Unfortunately for you six, you will not live to see my ruling of this world." The cat's gaze turned up wards.

There was an opening in the ceiling where the full moon was starting to cover. With it's light upon the orb, the glass looking sphere began to radiate. Like a reflective mirror, the orb cast it's light out to each pool. Then the humans began to feel movement. The stone cats had come to life, and we slowly lowering them into the waters.

Ranma could not help looking back in search of an escape. What his gaze fell upon instead was large eyes, and a grin akin to the Cheshire. With the feline face so close to his own, Ranma's adrenaline spiked and his panic set in. All at once the energy came out in an ear splitting yell. His sudden shout startled the cat that the chains slipped from his paws. He was not the only one as five splashes sounded all around. Ranma instinctively struck out in fear, and managed to crack in the whole face before falling into the water. In the cool depths, Ranma forced himself to focus on the familiar feeling of his cursed transformation.

Quickly he began to shorten... and shorten. And shrink. The chains fell away. His bones twisted and shifted. His spine elongated; as did his muzzle. His body hair thicken and his ears became bigger. Finally, his hands and feet became paws. It took little more than seconds, but Ranma was fully aware that somehow he had not been turned into a woman. Already fretful, he kicked out the best he could for the surface. A sudden gush of water from the deep of the pool aided by shooting him up and out. Down the waterfall he went. His mind slightly noting how much bigger everything looked now. Not to mention strangely coloured. His greater concern was the fact he was about to drop into swirling flood waters. The rapid whirl pool swallowed him up. Everything became a struggle to keep his head above water. Just when things could not have been worse, a house cat somehow caught in the waters was pushed into him. The last of Ranma's sanity snapped, and his mind went black.